By 15, he turned his attention to cars and the bigger profits of higher-priced sales.
Realizing his mechanical abilities could take him places, Todd started his apprenticeship as a General Machinist at age 17 after graduating high school. He learned how to design, build and install automated industrial machines.
At age 21, Todd turned his focus toward real estate when he took the initiative to negotiate the purchase of his first property — a proper handyman special. It required a complete overhaul, including the roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring, trim and more. With the help of his dad, a residential and commercial contractor with 30 years’ experience, Todd was able to turn it into a desirable place to live. Seeing the value his investment had become with much higher potential than fixing up cars and dirt bikes, Todd began educating himself on the details of real estate investment.
One of the most impactful courses he took was from a company called Fast Track to Cash flow where he was educated by real estate investing professionals Darren Weeks and Ken McElroy. With this expanded knowledge, in 2005, he left the security of his job to focus on self-employment while working as a financial agent helping people reduce their debt. In 2006, using the principles he had learned from his financial education he bought a rental property, fixed it up, and had it fully occupied within a month. With solid cash flow and growing equity, he purchased two more buildings in 2007. Buying 3 properties in 8 months helped him understand he could force equity quickly and use the cash flow to pay for the upgrades.
Todd has continued to educate himself on many aspects of real estate investing such as Lease Options, real estate strategy, and most recently apartment building purchases. Then working with Ken Beaton who was a full-time professional real estate investor with over 170 doors in his portfolio at the time Todd had opened new doors for investors to be involved in the acquisition of properties. With 18 rental units in his portfolio prior to completion of a course led by Ken Beaton in Ottawa in late June 2015, Todd found his next purchase while he was traveling home from the course.
By Early August he had closed on the property, a 6 unit residential apartment building, and now had a very happy cash investor who had entered the world of real estate investing without all the headaches of the common landlord.
Todd is working within a system that allows people to invest passively in real estate but still take advantage of all that this type of investment has to offer. He continues to source, negotiate, perform due diligence, purchase, manage and report on properties for his investors while they are able to sit back and know they are invested in a growing, cash-producing True Asset. Todd had then closed on three more multi-unit properties adding 18 additional units to the portfolio in a 6 month time period.
After some rezoning, extensive renovations, and another purchase he secured a full block of 4 buildings in the town of Campbellford, ON., and totally revitalized a portion of town with a total of 20 units in that block by mid-2017.
In 2018 Todd set his sights on some larger buildings in the town of Madoc ON. adding 29 units in 2018 to the portfolio with the addition of these two buildings. He continued to keep close tabs on over 70 units and had multiple passive investors entrusting him to grow a portion of their wealth in the True Asset of real estate.
In 2019 while investigating other geographical regions to invest in, Todd endeavored to expand his team and his footprint. This expansion took him to Nova Scotia where after a couple of visits and some team building he was able to secure 2 buildings totaling 24 units in the Annapolis Valley.
Continuing the use of the same system and offering opportunities to others in 2020 another 24 unit building was added to the portfolio in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Not one to sit around in early 2021 Todd got connected with a builder in Truro N.S. and formed a group to take on a multi-unit build project. This 3 year journey was a 60 unit property consisting of 6-10 unit buildings on 2 separate lots.
Currently overseeing 275 units in 24 buildings in 8 towns Todd continues to educate himself on Realestate and financial matters to offer the best service to his investors, tenants, and his team. He always enjoys a conversation with up-and-coming investors and has been helping a few of them get a foothold in the market so they can enjoy the benefits that Realestate has to offer. The number one key to getting started is education, mentorship, and team building. These are all steps Todd knows very well through his journey and continues to learn new things every day.
As a detail-oriented action taker with many years’ experience in real estate from construction and renovations to property management, Todd has poised himself through proven systems and increasing knowledge to help many investors take control of their investment dollars in a tangible way.
Todd has been a member of the Douro-Dummer Fire department for over 20 years. He enjoys helping out with his kids’ sports teams and is very passionate about giving back to those in need by providing leadership and hands-on skills for a host of renovation projects at Arrowhead Native Bible Center, a children’s camp in Cumberland Bay, New Brunswick.
Todd lives in Eastern Ontario with his wife and four children.
To contact Todd, email at todd@trueassets.ca or feel free to call at 705-995-2657